Questions About The Long Take

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Long Take, please sign up.

Answered Questions (5)

"... a man with a hose preceded him up Main Street, fanning an aisle through the Styrofoam, food wrappers, cigarette packets..." Would there have been styrofoam litter in 1948?

Canoebeast Wikipedia says Styrofoam was invented in 1941, and polystyrene 1931, so it's possible. The term "litterbug" was coined by the Ad Council in 1947 so, a…moreWikipedia says Styrofoam was invented in 1941, and polystyrene 1931, so it's possible. The term "litterbug" was coined by the Ad Council in 1947 so, again, I guess it's possible. I cannot find any actual littering statistics, though.(less)

flag

Is Spatula really a name?

Scott It's a threat to spank the child with a spatula.…moreIt's a threat to spank the child with a spatula.(less)

flag

"He wakes with one hand in the ashtray, empty pockets and a buttoned head." What's a buttoned head? I'm guessing a headache, but can anyone suggest an origin of this expression?

Ken Muir Imagine your head's normal everday feeling without a hangover or headache. The skin round your forehead is a relaxed comfortable fit and moves easily.…moreImagine your head's normal everday feeling without a hangover or headache. The skin round your forehead is a relaxed comfortable fit and moves easily. Now imagine if that same skin were buttoned tight, straining against your skull, and the seams and buttons were all digging in.
That sense of tightness associated with hangovers is what I think is meant here.
(less)

flag

Why is it called The Long Take? I assume it's a movie reference, but I don't see how it applies.

Ken Muir You're right in assuming it's a movie reference. Most movies consist of many short takes, cut and edited together. These may be changes of scene, chan…moreYou're right in assuming it's a movie reference. Most movies consist of many short takes, cut and edited together. These may be changes of scene, changes of view, changes of characters etc and generally have an element of discontinuity. A long take is a continuous piece of filming that lasts many minutes, with the camera itself moving considerable distances, following characters through conversations, locations etc without interruption, showing how they develop. A well-known example is the opening 7-8 minutes of "The Player".
My interpretation is that this book is one long take about Walker's life, showing that every single element of what happened to him, at home, at war, in New York and in California all affected the same person, making him what he is. None of the experiences can be taken in isolation as a short take or episode in his life, they are all bound up in him.
(less)

flag

What's the relevance of the coyote?